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Super Bowl 50: Huntsville's Darian Stewart shakes off knee injury

Updated on February 7, 2016 at 10:02 AMPosted on February 7, 2016 at 10:00 AM

darian stewart.jpg

Denver Broncos free safety Darian Stewart intercepts a pass intended for New England Patriots running back James White during the first half of the AFC Championship Game between on Jan. 24, 2016, in Denver.
(AP Photo)

Denver free safety Darian Stewart came up with an interception during the AFC Championship Game against New England on Jan. 24. But he also came down with a knee injury during the Broncos' 20-18 victory over the Patriots that put his participation in Super Bowl 50 in doubt.

Stewart's injury has been described as a slight MCL sprain. The Broncos held the former Lee High School star out of practice in the week after the AFC title game, and the Huntsville native said he'll be ready to play when Denver squares off against the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 50 on Sunday.

Stewart returned to practice on a limited basis on Wednesday and was a full participant on Thursday. He's listed as probable on the NFL injury report.

"I'm waking up not as stiff, and I'm just more confident in it," Stewart told reporters about his knee on Wednesday. "Actually on Monday, I had a good workout, and that right there built my confidence up even more. Like I said, I'm pain-free with all the movement. That right there just gave me the go-ahead to just keep pushing it."

Stewart has made his way to the Super Bowl after going undrafted out of South Carolina. He started his NFL career by earning a spot with the St. Louis Rams, starting 19 games in four seasons. He spent the 2014 season as the starting free safety for the Baltimore Ravens on a one-year contract and made his first appearance in the NFL postseason.

"Last night I was thinking how blessed I am," Stewart said. "You know everything happens for a reason, and sometimes you just need a change of scenery just to get a fresh start somewhere else. Leaving St. Louis and going to Baltimore and then making it to the playoffs - that gave me a taste of it right there, and it just made me even hungrier."

Stewart signed a two-year contract with Denver in the offseason with an eye toward taking the next step to the Super Bowl.

"That's why I signed here," Stewart said. "I knew we had a great leader at quarterback, and I knew our defense, just from watching them, could be top of the league."

That's the way it worked out, too: Denver had the NFL's No. 1 defense during the regular season. In the Super Bowl, the Broncos are matched against the NFL's top-scoring team.

"I kind of figured it would come to this," Stewart said. "You know this is what we want. We'll leave it all on the field."

The Broncos and Panthers kick off at 5:30 p.m. CST Sunday at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. CBS will televise the game.

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